Chapter 14
Chloe
Pain.
The ache in my heart was thunderous, a horrible group of sensations that refused to be shoved aside. Yet as I stood in front of Nikolai, the desire only continued to increase.
He rarely smiled but when he did, the action seemed to light up the room. Today was no different. In the waning light of the beautiful late afternoon, the last vestige of sun filtering in through the blinds, even his eyes seemed brighter than I’d seen them before.
The way he held me in his arms was possessive, a man who would never allow anyone else to take a taste of what belonged to him.
When he whispered several phrases in Russian, I didn’t need to understand them to know they were words of endearment.
As well as words of goodbye.
I rolled my fingers up to his collarbone then further, fingering his shaggy blond hair. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d be forced to cut off several inches or even shave his head when returning to Moscow. The thought was just as revolting as the understanding of why he was going back.
To exact revenge on the person responsible for killing his father.
A swell of desire continued to build, my entire body aching from need.
I took my time brushing my hand across his face, the bruises he’d been forced to endure lingering days after.
At least the ugly swelling had gone down, allowing me to see his beautiful eyes.
The sight of his brutal injuries that horrible day had been difficult to bear.
The actions he’d been forced to perform were visions that would never leave my nightmares. But there was no denying he was my true hero, a man who’d been beaten severely, chained like some animal, then still managed to free himself in order to protect me.
What had occurred after that was something I didn’t even think about.
“Do they hurt?” I asked as I gazed down at the ugly marks on his chest.
“Not nearly as much as before. You don’t have to worry about me, little pet. I’ve been through much worse.” He rolled his fingers down my back, cupping my buttocks and lifting me off the floor.
“That’s what scares me.”
“Shush, little one. Tonight isn’t about pain, unless you choose to misbehave that is.” He smacked my bottom once as a reminder then shifted me closer to the bed. “If you’re a good girl, I assure you that you will be rewarded.”
I wrapped my legs around his massive thighs, allowing a single whimper to push up from my throat. “What if I want to be bad?”
“Why do I think you’re challenging me?”
“Because I always will.”
Chuckling in his delicious dark tone, he nuzzled against my neck, biting down on my skin.
I was pulled into the beautiful moment of bliss.
There was nothing else but the two of us.
No light. No sound. No fears. I closed my eyes as I shifted my arms over his shoulders, lightly rubbing my fingers across his back.
I was lightheaded, the most beautiful set of stars floating in front of my eyes. He was purposeful in his actions, everything he did commanding. That would never change. He ripped at the comforter and sheets, dragging them halfway down the bed.
He slowly eased me down, never letting go until I was safely nestled against the soft bedding.
I continued to cling to him even as he crawled onto the bed, hovering over me like the dominating man he truly was.
There was a darkness in his eyes, yet the golden flecks surrounding his irises were glistening more than I’d seen them before.
The look on his face wasn’t just piercing as well as hungry. It was obsessive.
Quivering, I found it difficult to breathe as he lowered his head, pressing his lips across mine, sliding them back and forth teasingly.
When I playfully shoved his chest, he lifted his head. “You will never be in charge. Hands over your head.”
“That’s not fair.”
All he had to do was give me a stern look and I obeyed, huffing as I did.
“Grip the iron posts.”
I tilted my head, staring at the headboard, grimacing at the thought of what he was going to do.
When I hesitated, he pinched my nipples, twisting them brutally.
Another series of stars floated in front of my eyes, the pain coursing through me.
Whimpering, I did as he directed, grasping the rails then digging my fingernails into my palms.
“Now, close your eyes.”
“What?” I could tell that defying him wasn’t in my best interest.
“Do as I say, or you won’t like the consequences.” Then he softened, running his fingers down my thigh. “Trust me, little pet. I will never hurt you.”
I pursed my lips, closing my eyes, but I knew it would be difficult not to disobey. Seconds later, I was aware he’d climbed off the bed. A part of me wanted to cry out, ensuring that he hadn’t left the room, but I remained quiet.
Like a good little girl.
The thought brought a smile to my face and the second I heard a few sounds I grew more intrigued.
What was he going to do? A mixture of excitement as well as apprehension settled into my system.
I knew I could trust the man with my life, but the thought of losing all control after what I’d been through was more difficult than I wanted to allow him to understand.
He didn’t deserve that burden with what he was facing.
I tried to concentrate on the sounds. What was he doing? I almost opened my eyes when I felt the weight on the bed shift again.
“I’m asking you again. Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation.
When I felt his lips brushing across my stomach, moving ever so slowly up to my bruised nipple, I arched my back, soft mews erupting from my mouth. He chuckled, his hot breath cascading across my skin.
“Keep your eyes closed.”
“Yes, sir.” The scent of the man was all testosterone and brawn.
Everything about him was intoxicating, his actions leaving me lightheaded with butterflies swarming in my stomach.
Prickles skated along every inch of my skin and as he swirled his tongue around my nipple, I instantly bucked up from the bed, my hands slipping from their required position.
“Tsk. Tsk. Bad little girl.”
I quickly resumed my grip, taking shallow breaths. Every word he issued pushed me into a delicious frenzy, wanting nothing more than to touch him.
Stroke him.
Suck him.
The thought brought me a smile until he wrapped his lips around my nipple, pulling the tender tissue into his mouth, sucking as he made guttural sounds.
I was instantly pushed into sweet nirvana, my pussy clenching several times.
The scent of my feminine wiles had already given away my intense arousal. I was wet and hot, my heart racing.
Without thinking, I reached down to him, my longing to touch taking over.
“I can see you’re not going to be able to obey me.” He shifted his weight and the second I felt something being placed around my wrist, I issued a sharp cry, memories of the experience suddenly all I could think about.
“Shhh… Trust me, Chloe. I don’t want you to be afraid.”
Was this some kind of crazy lesson? Was he trying to help me forget about what Dimitri and his gang of thugs had done to me? I wasn’t certain that was possible.
Yet I trusted him completely and without question. As he positioned soft material around my wrist, I managed to take a deep breath. Seconds later, he shifted to my other arm, doing the same thing. I could tell the binding wasn’t tight, although I knew I was secured to the bed.
He lowered down, kissing my lips then whispering into my ear, his breath tickling. “You’re beautiful. And you’re all mine. Pleasure, not pain. Unless you disobey me.”
His words made me laugh, allowing the tension to disappear. I knew exactly what he was doing, trying to take the nightmares away. I took several deep breaths, falling into a beautiful and serene place, tingling to my core as he brushed his fingers down one arm then the other.
As he continued to tease me, sucking and biting down on my other nipple, I couldn’t stop whimpering.
I was shocked that his simple touch could push me close to an orgasm.
There was so much electricity shooting through us, the heat crackling my skin.
After a full minute of his mouth tormenting my hardened buds, I was ready to beg him to fuck me.
But I could tell he was going to take his sweet time.
He licked between my breasts, nipping my skin every few inches.
“You have nothing to be afraid of. No one is going to hurt you.” He kept his tone soft and even, the husky vibe like a warm blanket. “Keep your eyes closed and enjoy the sensations.”
At this moment in time, I believed him. I knew he would slay every dragon. Exorcise any demons. He was that powerful.
And I loved him even more.
Nikolai continued his exploration, dragging his tongue down to my bellybutton, circling it several times before shifting to my legs. I opened them wide, longing to have him bury his face in my pussy. But he had other things in mind.
Over the course of several minutes, he continued his exploration, peppering my legs with kisses and licks then caressing my skin. I was pushed into a quiet realm, my breathing ragged as my pulse continued to skip. All time seemed to stop, the sensations keeping me on edge.
I tossed my head back and forth, every whimper I let out strangled. I found it even more difficult to obey yet I didn’t want to disappoint him. I flexed my hands, comprehending that with a hard pull, I could easily free myself. This was about trusting him completely, no matter what he asked.
When I was finally relaxed, I realized that I could easily drift off to sleep and I knew there would be no abomination of nightmares. There’d be no fear of the dark. Just the sweet peace of lust and love.
When he finally gathered my legs in his arms, bending them at the knee, I bucked up once again. “Yes. Yes.”
He blew across my pussy then dragged his tongue up the length in a slow and easy motion. I curled my toes, taking shallow breaths and the second he slipped his tongue past my swollen folds, I almost lost it, nearly succumbing to a powerful orgasm.